the winter sun smiled for things to come in spring
by the milliner's rook
Summary: What is it with you! You're either too young or too old! What the hell!
1. the winter sun smiled

Credit goes to Rinusagitora for the image cover.

* * *

 _What the fuck,_ Karin thinks, unable to do anything but _stare._ The person standing right in front of her was definitely and recognizably Toushirou but — but _older_. _Did he just become hot?_

Sure, Karin has always considered Toushirou to be cute, but _this!_

This was something _else._

A whole new level of _drop dead gorgeous_.

"Um, what?" Karin manages to say, tearing her eyes from Toushirou's — chest, shoulders, jawline — _everything_ — vaguely aware that his _mouth_ is moving but she can't make herself listen, too stunned at the sight of him and his abs to register anything else.

He frowns — he does that stupid thing where he tugs his lips down, and it's familiar and reassuring in a way Karin never thought was possible, relieved that his habits are the same.

"Karin."

His voice sounds the same too, a little deeper perhaps, but clearly his.

"… are you… _blushing?"_

"… what?" Karin says, giggling in disbelief, her head a little fuzzy as she tries to rearrange her expression into something that vaguely resembles _blatant denial._ If only she could ignore the butterflies in her stomach. "No! _As if._ "

He gazes at her for a really long time, his mouth set against that fantastic jawline, and Karin hopes that he'll be kind enough to ignore how unconvincing she sounds, so high pitched and squeaky like she always is when she gets flustered by pretty boys who are most certainly her type.

"Your face is getting really red," Toushirou comments, almost nonchalantly. Like he knows the effect he's having on her.

Karin's ears burn.

"Well, yeah," Karin says, abruptly, awkwardly, desperate to say something without making a fool of herself. If she dies right now, it would be for a worthy cause. "That's because the air is really hot."

It takes a lot of willpower not to wince at herself.

"Really," Toushirou raises his eyebrow, and _looks_ at her, sexily — _amusedly,_ that is to say. He looks at her with amusement. And Karin despairs. "The air is hot."

"Yup," Karin says, not trusting herself to say anything else.

" _That's_ what you're going with?" Toushirou folds his arms across his chest and — _shit_ , his shoulders look _broad_ and his hands are _huge_.

"Yep," Karin states, certainly not getting distracted and doing anything mortifying like swooning.

"It's okay to have a crush on me," Toushirou says, knowingly, tilting his head as he smiles at her. _Evilly._

"You said that last time when you prancing about with that ridiculous bandana of yours," Karin quips, the banter bringing some semblance of sense back to her. _This_ is familiar territory between them, and it gives Karin enough willpower to pull herself together.

"So you think I look ridiculous?" Toushirou drawls, and Karin has to stifle the urge to shake her head and _take it back_.

He looks anything _but._

"Damn right I do," Karin nods, a forest fire blazing across her cheeks, as she lies to his face. She maintains that the bandana is far more ridiculous an accessory than how ridiculous this situation is now.

"Hm," Toushirou grunts, an unhappy scowl manifesting on his handsome face.

"What is it with you!" Karin bursts, unable to contain herself. With flailing hands, she gestures at him—at _all_ of him—wild exaggerated motions. "You're either too young or too old! What the hell!"

"Well, excuse me, Karin; I don't decide on how my _bankai_ works, this is just how it _is!"_ Toushirou hollers, face flushed, chest heaving as his temper kindles. "What's your problem anyway?"

"Nothing!" Karin snaps, determined to convince herself that she doesn't have a problem with it. She _doesn't._ It's just… she didn't know that his _bankai_ looked like that, and how was she supposed to handle him when he looks like _that_? "Just go back to being you again!"

"Fine!" Toushirou snarls, moodily, the danger long passed anyway, and he transforms back into the brat that Karin considers one of her best friends. After a pause, he asks, still smarting, "Better?"

"Much," Karin sighs, able to relax now, and ignore how her heart is still pounding furiously in her chest. She offers him a smile. "That was a bit of a shock, huh?"

"Yeah," Toushirou says, disgruntled, looking at her strangely, and Karin grimaces. "That's going to be me in a hundred years or so."

"Wow," Karin says, impressed, despite herself. There has to be something she can say to remedy the situation. "You're going to look so cool, and I bet you are going to be really popular."

"You couldn't have said that five seconds ago, when I _actually_ looked cool?" Toushirou says, scornfully, his eyes narrowed.

"If I had, you'd have been insufferable," Karin rolls her eyes, and he'd never let her live it down. "Besides, you can look forward to that in the future. For the record, _I_ prefer current you."

"Hm," Toushirou glances at her, contemplating, somewhat sceptical. "You don't blush like that around me normally."

"I _wasn't_ —I was in shock!" Karin protests, her flush born anew, and she wants to forget the five minutes she spent _crushing_ on him already. "Complete and utter shock! I didn't expect an older you to look like _that!"_

Nobody did, Karin hoped. Fervidly.

"I guess," Toushirou shrugs, though it seems like he's calmer now. He looks at her, eyes soft and smiling. "I didn't think you'd react like that either. Thought you'd catch some flies for a while."

"I would never!"

"A hundred years' time," Toushirou reminds her, smirking, obnoxious and _insufferable._ "We'll see."

"Wait until I turn…" Karin pauses, wondering how old he might have become. "Nineteen! I'll be way more gorgeous than you ever were!"

His turquoise eyes sparkle at the hint of a challenge. "Is that so?"

" _Yeah_ ," Karin retorts, hands on her hips as she leans forwards, daring. "And you'll still be a shrimp."

"Not forever!" Toushirou replies, quick to banter back, "I have _that_ to look forward to!"

"You and me both!" Karin barks out, unthinkingly, and pauses as the horror of what she just said hits her. Her face is bright red again. "I mean!"

"The future is doomed when we grow up," Toushirou translates, heavy on the sarcasm, triumphant, and Karin nods, furiously.

"Exactly!" Karin agrees.

Secretly, though, Karin despairs.

Bad enough to see him be _that much of a hunk temporarily_ — just _how_ exactly is she going to handle it on a _permanent_ basis? When they're both _shinigami_ and aging slows at a phenomenal rate?

 _She_ is so _doomed_.


	2. sweetheart, snowdrops are in bloom

For the shameless anon who wanted older!Karin and blushing!Toushirou. The image was too cute!

* * *

Toushirou knows he's in trouble when Karin turns sixteen.

 _Oh no_ , Toushirou thinks, blanching as his cheeks start to flush. _No._

 _This could not be happening_.

It feels like all the air has been knocked out of him, leaving him winded at the sight of her, smiling and radiant as a goddess, and he wonders how he's never seen her like this before.

This couldn't possibly be happening, and _yet_ —

"You okay?" Karin asks, peering at him curiously, and he doesn't know what to blame — the trick of the light, his lizard stupid brain, the way her lashes frame her eyes. Or the sudden lack of oxygen since he stopped breathing ever since Karin leaned in close enough for him to count her eyelashes, and he stays exactly where he stand, still as can be. "You're looking kind of… _red_."

Toushirou swallows. "It's nothing."

He could blame the weather, he supposes. It's not too late for that. May has never particularly agreed with him, but he tolerates it because it's Karin's birthday and he's here for her.

"Alright," Karin shrugs, drawing back, and seemingly letting the matter to, much to Toushirou's relief. He's always appreciated her nonchalance, truth be told.

He exhales, the rush of air heavier than he expected.

 _Oh, shit._

He's more affected by this newfound attraction than he thought. This cannot be good.

"It's funny," Karin drawls, and her eyes flash with fondness as she regards him. Captivating him even as he sinks more and more into the depths of her beauty. "If I didn't know better, I'd almost say you were…"

His mouth goes dry.

"Oh _fuck_ ," Karin's mouth drops, lips full and rose red, and in slow motion, Toushirou watches her eye widen, a gleam of steel blue as the dots connect. "You _are_ , aren't you?"

"What?" Defensive, all to prepared to deny whatever that she's about to say, Toushirou grits his teeth, and tries to cool his face by willpower alone. If he wills it, ice will dust over his cheekbones, and he can blame it on the cold, rather than something as stupid as a —

" _Blushing,_ " Karin declares, triumphant. Relishing the moment with a sharp smirk, Toushirou is helplessly drawn to noticing the sweetly seductive curl of her mouth. "Wow."

"I am not!" Toushirou denies it, vehemently, flaring up much to his detriment. "I'm just — very happy to see you again!"

Karin snorts. Tries to hide her smile, and it makes her unbelievably cute. He wants to scream in frustration.

He can't believe he has to deal with thoughts like this. They're so _distracting!_

"What did you say to me back then?" Karin teases, back to smirking, and lording it over him, and it shouldn't make him already more flustered than he already is, and _yet._ "Never mind, I remember. It's okay to have a crush on me, Toushirou."

"But I _don't!_ " Toushirou bursts out; his cheeks blazing as Karin merely arches her brow, sceptical. Even if he _did_ , which he _doesn't_ , he's far too stubborn to admit it _now_ , of all things. "Dammit, Karin, I don't have a crush on you!"

It's shock!

He's in shock and has yet to accustom to her face — that must be _it!_

He's witnessed Karin in a number of guises. He's seen her in her school uniform, and ripped jeans. He's seen her with her shorts and mud scraped knees. He's seen her in pyjamas and dressed for a party. So why — _why_ is this so different from before?

"Alright, alright," Karin agrees easily, _too_ complacent, and Toushirou raises his guard, finding it suspicious that she yields so quickly. She shrugs, and exhales. "Whatever you say."

The fact that she sounds like she doesn't believe it makes the condescension even _worse._

"How about I turn into my future self right now?" Toushirou blurts, _convinced_ that he was not nearly as bad as her when it came to teasing Karin. He raises his voice. "How'd you like _that?"_

"You'd be my favourite birthday present _ever,"_ Karin says, a dreamy look in her eyes, momentarily distracted, like she hadn't even realized that she'd said that out loud. She gasps the second she does, eyes widening before she shakes her head, embarrassed. Her cheeks flush, and there's a bitter victory in that. "I mean —"

It's so unfair that Karin has a crush on his older self, and he has to have a crush — no, not a _crush_ — feel _flustered_ by her when she's taller than him, his heartbeat racing irrationally even now. Why is it that they can never get it right?

"Too bad," Toushirou flatly says, glowering just a little. He's not jealous.

Absolutely _not_.

"Toushirou," Karin says, sounding exasperated as she stresses his name. Her hands fall to her hips, and she looks at him. "This is ridiculous."

And all of a sudden she bursts into laughter, stunning him once more by how adorable she is, radiant in her happiness.

"You should see the look on your face," Karin says, an affectionate smile adorned on her face.

"W-what?" And he hates-hates- _hates_ how his cheeks are suffusing with hot colour once more.

"I just wanted to mess with you a bit," Karin grins, turning fiendish, and Toushirou squawks. "I mean, I'd have been flattered if you had, you know? But. We had a deal, remember? Future's not here yet."

 _It might as well be_ , Toushirou's thoughts think traitorously, as he huffs out his displeasure and rolls his eyes. Three years are going pass quickly in a blink of an eye, and yet, somehow, it'll be so torturously slow.

"Right. Of course."

 _I'll be way more gorgeous than you ever were_ , Karin had said, taunting.

He's not doomed _yet._

"Still," Karin muses, considering him with mirth in her eyes. "If you're like this when I'm sixteen, I bet your jaw is going to hit the floor when I turn _nineteen._ "

Toushirou snorts, back in his element. He recognizes a challenge when he sees one. "No promises, Karin."

"You say that now," Karin smirks, but she looks at him knowingly, entertained by the possibility. "But we'll see who's laughing at the end."

Matsumoto, probably.

"Who's doomed _most_ , you mean," Toushirou corrects, and that earns him a laugh, and Toushirou is again temporarily struck speechless by just how pretty she's become, how beautiful she is going to be.

"Yeah, that," Karin says, slinging her arm over his shoulder. Her smile tells him that she knows his every secret. "We're going to be so hot. It'll be fun!"

"I can't wait," Toushirou deadpans, and smiles, softening at the excitement in her sparkling eyes. He's already infected by her exuberance.

It's him.

He knows it'll be _him_. He can _just_ _tell_.

If he's in trouble now, then it's going to be so much _worse_ when the future knocks all sense and rationality out of him and she becomes even more gorgeous than he could possibly imagine.

In the meantime, she'll have the upper hand rendering him speechless whenever she sends a slightly crooked smile in his direction, and he'll be forced to admit, that maybe he _does_ have a crush on her after all.

Like hell he'd say something like that out loud, though.

And _yet_ —

Karin grins at him, and Toushirou _knows_ —

He is in _so much trouble._


End file.
